NGO alleges Govt interference in CBI probe into coal scam

New Delhi: An NGO on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking an SIT probe into alleged "blatant" interference by the Centre into the CBI probe of the coal block allocation scam. In its interim application, NGO Common Cause submitted that the alleged "blatant interference" by the Government is not only unlawful and a criminal offence, it amounts to contempt of court and the same has to be probed by a special investigative team (SIT). It alleged that the CBI was not fit to probe the scam, as the agency at the instance of the government has "changed and diluted" a status report which it was to file before the apex court. It also been alleged that law officers of the government attempted to mislead the court by stating that they had not seen the status report, when the same had been shown to them by the CBI.

The NGO also submitted that the CBI officer who was supervising the investigation and who had filed its affidavit was replaced during the course of the probe. It suggested that appointing a retired judge to head the SIT would help the court to monitor the case and add to the credibility of the probe by insulating it from political and corporate influences. Earlier, advocate ML Sharma on whose petition the CBI probe was ordered into the alleged irregularities in the coal block allocation, mentioned before a bench headed by Justice RM Lodha the issue of reported interference of government in the probe. The bench said since the matter is listed for hearing on April 30 there was no need of any indulgence by the court at the moment. It gave him liberty to file an application on the issue which could be taken up for hearing on the scheduled date of hearing. PTI